The Sorcerer
by pbrane
Summary: NWN2. Andrea wakes up in a strange world, far away from everything she knows.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"_The village is under attack! West Harbor is under attack!"_

_The sound of a young man yelling startled me into waking. I didn't recognize the voice. I opened my eyes and was immediately startled by how the wall was on the wrong side of my bed. Then I noticed that the bed was too hard. The sheets were too scratchy. I swung around to sit up. The floor was too… wooden. My apartment's bedroom has carpets! I raced through my memory to see where the heck I had gone the night before. Nowhere. I went nowhere! I had stayed at home, watched a movie, and went to bed. I was on the verge of panic when the door burst open and two figures ran in. "Andrea! You're safe! Grab a weapon. We need to help defend the village."_

_The young man was wearing a strange metallic coat that shone in the moonlight. He quickly lit a candle and gestured frantically for me to get up. The other person that had entered the room was a pretty young woman. Her dress looked oddly medieval. _

"_Where am I? Who are you people?" I demanded. The young woman knelt down beside me, grabbing my arms._

"_Andrea! You're in your room! I'm Amie, that's Bevil, and you clearly drank too much ale after the Harvest Fair last night! Now come on, we have to go!"_

_Bevil was anxiously staring out the doorway, seemingly oblivious to my confusion. "They came pouring in from the swamp and started tearing the village apart!"_

"_What-" I was cut off by Amie yanking me up by my arms. "We have to go NOW!"_

_She grabbed a heavy walking stick that was leaning against the wall and shoved it into my hands. My panicked mind was racing too fast for me to process anything anymore. All I could focus on was that these people urgently needed my help._

* * *

"My feet hurt," I whined to myself, probably for the 10th time that hour.

We had just rescued Shandra from those creepy githyanki (again) and we were on our way back to the Sunken Flagon. I wiped the sweat from my forehead and kept on walking. Walking, walking, walking, I hated walking! My only consolation was that I could handle all of the walking better than when I first started this whole crazy business – I would have collapsed from exhaustion by now.

I turned to Shandra, who was trudging along beside me. "You need to rest or anything?"

"Nah, we're almost there. I can probably hold out."

I reached over and gently grabbed her arm as an affectionate gesture. I could empathize with her completely; she had been thrown into a dangerous adventure that she wasn't ready for. True, she was a lot tougher than me, but she still had this look of disbelief stuck on her face.

I suppose I did, too. I still couldn't believe that there were things like magic and monsters. People call me a sorcerer, which sounds to me like I'm some freaky dude with a pointy hat that bosses around little brooms, but I guess it's thought of differently here. Much like everything is.

"So, Andrea…the ranger you brought along… what's his problem?" Shandra asked me, gesturing towards Bishop. He was somewhat ahead of us, presumably leading us back to the inn.

"Ugh, I don't know. Duncan somehow blackmailed him into helping us find you. I definitely don't trust him."

Hell, I was scared shitless of him. I looked up ahead. He was scanning for something in the trees beside him. I saw his shadow of facial hair and my stomach fluttered. Must have been from fear.

"Um, are you blushing?" Shandra asked me, eyebrow raised. My cheeks did feel hot. Damnit.

"No!" My blush got deeper. "Ugh. We'll talk about this later," I scowled at her.

I looked behind me to see if anyone had heard us talking. Casavir was walking behind us a fair distance back, brooding. He and Bishop had argued about something or other earlier. I could see a small chain hanging from his clenched fist – whenever he got frustrated he clenched his little silver symbol of Tyr. It was kind of endearing. He caught my eye and gave me a questioning look, as if to ask if I needed anything. I blushed again and quickly looked forward. Shandra sniggered. What the hell was wrong with me?! My hormones had been raging ever since I woke up in this crazy world.

I still hadn't told anyone that was currently traveling with me. I told Bevil back when we were looking through those ruins in the swamp, but he thought someone must have cast a spell on me or something. If so, they sure went through a lot of trouble to create 21 years of memories of a world with fast food and the Internet. Mmm… fast food… mmm… Internet…

"I miss the Internet…" I mumbled to myself absent-mindedly.

"What?" Shandra asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Uh… nothing. I miss the Inn. The Sunken Flagon. I'm sick of walking. And I want to practice my spells… I think I figured out how to sanitize my cutlery."

She looked at me and said, "You're very strange, Andrea."

"Heh. Yep."

* * *

_I heard banging on the door. Shit, they were coming in. Whoever "they" were._

"_Get ready," Bevil said. Amie started muttering something strange-sounding and she was moving her hands._

_I stood behind them both, not knowing what the hell to do._

_I heard a loud crack and the door opened. Three people came running in – except, were they people? They were short, stocky, and their skin was a dull grey. Definitely not a natural skin tone. They snarled and raised their weapons. I panicked and screamed._

_Bevil lunged at them with a big sword he had had at his hip. I heard metal clashing. I flinched and stepped backwards until I hit the wall with a thunk. Amie's muttering suddenly got louder and all of a sudden I saw this intense light coming from her hands. I stared at it, mesmerized, watching the colours move through the spectrum. How was that possible? The grey people were somehow affected by it – they now looked confused and stumbled blindly. A few more quick movements from Bevil and everything became silent._

"_Oh my god, are you guys okay?" I asked, rushing towards them. They turned to me and nodded. Then I looked down and saw the bodies. There was dark blood pooling on the floor, and I thought I saw innards trailing from one of their stomachs._

_It was so gruesome. I had never seen a dead body before. I swore quietly and tried to turn around, but my limbs weren't listening to my brain and I fell over. The image I had just seen kept flashing in my head like a horror movie scene._

"_Oh god, they're dead," I gasped as I knelt on the floor facing away from the carnage._

"_They were going to kill us, Andrea. They're attacking the village!" Bevil said quietly from behind me. "I know you aren't in the militia, but you weren't this squeamish when we found Albrecht torn apart in his field that one year. What's going on with you?"_

"_I… I'm just not feeling like myself. Give me a minute."_

_I crawled into the other room so that I couldn't see the bodies. Whatever was happening, it wasn't safe to waste time trying to figure it out. I had to play along so that we could all stay alive._

* * *

I breathed a sigh of happy relief as we walked through the Flagon's door. As I walked up to Duncan I tried to figure out which was more desirable: sleep or food.

"Hey Duncan, we're back! Well. Obviously."

Duncan hastily wiped his hands on a rag and ran up to us. "Hey, welcome back! Glad to see you've all returned... and in one piece, no less!"

"Heh, thanks to Elanee and Casavir." I smiled, gesturing to them, then rubbed my arm in remembrance of a particularly nasty gash I had gotten from Zeeaire. Magical healing was totally awesome.

"So, um, I need to talk to you about this scar I have," I continued, pulling down the neckline of my robe. Casavir quickly turned his head away. I rolled my eyes and snapped at him, "Jesus, Casavir, it's not like I'm flashing everyone."

Before he could say anything, I turned back to Duncan and continued. "Duncan, I have one of those _shards_ inside me. That must be how I got this scar. What the hell _really_ happened during that battle?"

He gave me a pained look, but answered me. "All right, lass. I truly didn't know you had a shard in you, but I will tell you the whole story."

He told me about the battle at West Harbor that occurred when I was a baby. How my mother had died protecting me. How this shard must have killed her and become lodged in me. Well, if it _was_ me. Still, I didn't have the scar before I woke up on this world.

I must have had a sour look on my face because Duncan gently took my shoulder. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. My brother-"

Bishop came swaggering up with a drink in his hand. "Why the long faces, you two? Somebody die? If so, sounds like a cause for celebration to me."

I looked at him, dumbfounded. Who the hell would _say_ something like that? Well. Bishop, obviously.

"By the way," he continued, "I've decided it would be in both our interests if I stay on with you."

Again, I was dumbfounded. "Why the heck would you want to stay on? You complained the whole time you were with us."

I tried to figure out in my head whether I wanted him to stay. It sure was useful to have a tracker. And who am I kidding – he was awfully nice to look at. I didn't really feel like getting killed in my sleep, though.

"We don't need any more of your help," Casavir growled while I was pondering the situation. Well it was no surprise that Casavir didn't want him around – they definitely did not get along.

"Ah, why don't you let our leader speak for herself, 'paladin,' without you speaking for her, eh?" Bishop retorted.

Hmm. Point to Bishop.

Then a strange thing happened. Duncan assured Bishop that his 'debt' was paid – but Bishop insisted that he still owed Duncan. _A debt is a debt, all the way until the end_, he said.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," I quipped to myself under my breath.

I figured more arguing was going to ensue, but Shandra interrupted.

"I hate to ask... but what happens now? I can't go back to my farm, ashes and all."

I gave her a sympathetic look. "Oh…well you can keep traveling with us. If you want!" I had had fun with her so far. She was easy to talk to. Usually the others didn't really…'get' me.

Bishop scoffed. "Why, because we need someone who's easy on the eyes? That's what _I'm _here for, I believe.

"No, that's what Casavir's here for." I retorted, then immediately regretted saying. I was just trying to take Bishop down a notch. But now I had a feeling things were going to get awkward. Although it was true that Casavir was damn pretty.

I glanced over at Casavir, despite me desperately telling myself _not_ to. He blushed and looked away. Yep. Awkward.

Shandra quickly came to my rescue by interjecting, "Yes… so… I will take you up on your offer. I won't try to get in your way or anything, but I don't want us to part ways again."

I smiled at her. "Awesome! Let's go sit down and I'll fill you in on everything that's been going on." I grabbed her arm and quickly walked us over to a table in the corner of the inn, glad to be free of that conversation.

We talked for hours, about all that had happened so far, about the Haven, about my companions. But every time she asked something about my childhood I evaded the question. I wondered if I should tell her the truth. It was hard to keep it all in.

"Look… there's some weird stuff going on with me," I half-whispered. I drummed my fingers on the table anxiously.

"Hey, you don't have to talk about it," she reassured me. "But I'm here for you. You've saved my life on more than one occasion."

I smiled at her and sighed. "Well, maybe sometime we can talk about it when we aren't surrounded by eavesdroppers." I gestured to our companions, who were scattered about the tables. Because seriously, they took eavesdropping to a whole new level.

"Anyway," I continued, standing up and stretching my legs, "I'm gonna head off to bed. See you in the morning?"

"Pleasant dreams," she said suggestively, flicking her eyes towards one of the tables I couldn't see.

I pretended I hadn't heard her, but I'm sure she saw my nostrils flaring with held-in laughter as I walked off to my room.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I woke up with the sun. I felt refreshed from a bath the night before - a rare luxury in this place.

I changed into a simple white dress I had bought that wasn't too foreign-looking to me. I saw my traveling robe thrown over a chair and remembered that it had accumulated a few tears on our last trip. Sighing, I fumbled around in my pack and found my needle and thread. I didn't really like sewing, but my robe needed mending. I grabbed my robe and glanced in the mirror on my way out. I had gone to bed with my hair wet, and it had dried into a hilarious mess. Short pieces stuck out in odd directions. I giggled to myself and walked out the door.

I grabbed a chunk of bread from a basket on the counter and veered around to a table so I could get to sewing. After a quick check to make sure it was somewhat clean, I sat down, swung my legs up and started fumbling around with my robe to find the worst rip.

No one was around, so I started quietly singing a song to myself as I sewed - it had been on the radio before… you know.

I heard someone walk up behind me. I awkwardly craned my neck around to see who it was.

"Oh, hey Elanee. Good morning."

She glided by me and stopped at the chair across from mine. "May I speak with you?"

"Oh, sure." I swung my feet down from the table and threw my robe on the chair beside me. I was slightly surprised - Elanee and I didn't speak all that much. Maybe she got the vibe that she creeped me out a little.

She sat down, more gracefully than I would ever be able to, and placed her hands on the table. I tried not to be mesmerized by her - how would I describe it - 'ethereal beauty'? I suddenly felt self-conscious about my messy hair and not-so-ethereal appearance. She regarded me with her inhumanly golden eyes.

"That song you were singing has a strange tune. Where did you learn it?"

"Oh that…" I tried to think of some believable answer. "Some bard came through West Harbor one year, from down south somewhere."

"Ah."

"Yep."

I kind of nodded my head and sat there awkwardly while she looked at me. I tried to think up a graceful excuse for getting the hell out of there. Before I could, she broke the silence.

"Andrea, I apologize if this sounds rude, but you have been acting… _strangely_ lately," she said cautiously.

I was a bit taken aback. I mean, I knew I acted strangely in _general_, but I hadn't really acted much different since I met Elanee, as far as I could tell.

"I have?" I asked, as cautiously as her.

She looked like she was debating whether to tell me something.

"Andrea, I have not been completely honest with you."

My heart started beating a little faster. I had no clue whatsoever what she was talking about, but I figured it wasn't a confession about her picking my pocket or something. Neeshka was the one that did that - I mean, picking my pocket and then telling me about it. With glee.

I frowned at her and asked, "About what?"

"I told you that I started following you after you left West Harbor. That is not completely true. I have been…watching you for some time."

'_Creepy'_ was the first thing that ran through my mind.

Then I realized that's why she thought I was acting strangely - the person she had 'watched' before those things attacked West Harbor was not me. Or…another me. Or something.

"Why were you watching me?" I asked, not wanting to explain my sudden 'change' in behaviour.

"It was a…test. Given to me by the elders of the Circle." She changed her tone abruptly. "I do not wish to speak of it now, however. I am merely concerned about you."

I already didn't trust her. Even though she had been very helpful so far, she had also been enigmatic and distant. Now I trusted her even less.

"I'm fine," I said nonchalantly. "I don't know why you think I'm acting strangely. Maybe adventuring has just changed me."

She looked at me skeptically. "Very well. I shall leave you to your mending."

With that, she rose, and glided off.

I wondered what would happen if I just _told_ everyone I wasn't who they thought I was. Would they think I was possessed and do an exorcism? Or call me a witch and burn me? Or banish me to some plane or whatever? Or was I just being super paranoid? I didn't have a deep enough understanding of this world to know. It seemed like a lot of strange things were accepted, but others weren't. No one looked twice at Khelgar, even though I didn't see many dwarves around the city, but Neeshka was definitely treated like a freak whenever people noticed her horns, tail or red eyes.

I sighed and felt too agitated to continue sewing. I decided to go wake Shandra up and drag her out to do some shopping. She needed some proper traveling gear, and I needed some fresh air. Also, I couldn't go shopping alone as I didn't know what the hell anything was. I couldn't tell a ring of…retribution from a cloak of…clandestineness.

I grabbed my robe from the chair and strolled off to the hallway.

As soon as I turned the corner I almost ran into someone.

"Sorry!" I yelped, backing up quickly.

I got my bearings and noticed Bishop standing there, leisurely leaning against the wall.

Jeez, did he hear my whole freaking conversation with Elanee?

He looked at my hair and smirked. "My, aren't we looking _lovely_ this morning." I was amazed at just how sarcastic he was able to sound.

"I dressed up just for you, darling," I replied, trying to sound just as sarcastic. I…wasn't so good at it.

I tried to saunter past him, but he stepped sideways and blocked my way.

"Seems the druidess thinks you're acting a little strangely."

"So? Who's she to talk?" I frowned slightly after I said that, hoping it wasn't too 'modern' sounding. I really needed to work on that.

"Don't think you can hide things from me forever." He leaned in close to my ear. "I'll figure you out, _sorceress._" His voice was seductively threatening. I shivered.

Then he walked past me and out the door.

"Oh god, he's going to kick my ass," I moaned to myself.

* * *

The afternoon passed a lot better than the morning. Shandra and I had gone out to the market district and we had a load of fun getting supplies. And by getting supplies, I mean gossiping and getting supplies. I sure hoped she wasn't lying about her promise not to repeat the lewd things I said about Casavir and Bishop.

"Aye! Come sit over here! Have a drink!" Khelgar roared as he saw us enter the inn. Everyone was sitting around the same table looking like they were having a great time. We dropped our bags off and then gladly obliged.

I had gotten somewhat used to the ale - it was way sweeter than beer. I gulped it down and laughed as we reminisced about things that had happened in past battles. It was good to be back after our journey to the githyanki lair, and I felt optimistic about the future. There weren't any immediate concerns - we could relax for a while and do some research about the Haven. The gith were off our backs. Maybe things would be easy from now on!

I wondered idly if jinxes came true on this world…

The door opened and a man walked in. Over his armour he had a sleeveless blue garment with what looked like a crying eye symbol. Everyone went silent. I took that as a bad sign.

He walked towards the table we were sitting at, which was an even worse sign. What the heck was going on _now_?

"There you are," he said directly to me as he approached.

"Am I supposed to know who this is?" I quickly whispered to Casavir, who was sitting across the corner from me. I figured he would know.

"He is Sir Nevalle of the Nine. One of Lord Nasher's bodyguards," he replied in a low voice.

I grimaced inwardly. I hated authority figures. I always got all nervous around them, which made me look guilty. Captain Brelaina _still_ looked at me suspiciously.

Sir Nevalle reached our table and stopped. Oh great…he was absolutely _gorgeous_. This was really going to help the nervousness. I glanced over at Shandra to see if she knew what I was thinking. She pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling.

"Um…can I help you?" I asked tentatively.

"I am here because Luskan has accused you of murder - an entire village, no less. Have you heard of Ember?"

My eyes widened and I yelled without thinking. "What?!"

I didn't feel much like 'reflecting' on anything as I sat in front of my dinky campfire in Solace Glade. I was cold, my butt hurt and I was extremely bored.

I didn't want to think about Ember. Thinking about it wouldn't fix anything. I just had to go along with everyone's crazy ideas. Sometimes I felt like I didn't have much of a choice in anything anyway. Like becoming a squire. I hoped I wouldn't have to drag Sir Grayson's sword around for him.

At least Sand seemed like he knew what he was doing. Qara sure didn't like him, but…no one liked Qara, so, whatever.

I was unnecessarily poking at the campfire when I heard Shandra's voice through the trees. "Andrea?"

"Shandra! Oh god, I am so bored. Come sit!"

"I know you're supposed to do this alone, but there's no way I'm letting you stay all alone out here with all the danger that seems to follow you around."

I hadn't really thought about the danger of being out there alone, which made me feel kind of stupid. I wondered how I had even stayed alive so far. It was comforting, though, that she cared about me enough to come and make sure I was safe.

"You can be my bodyguard!" I joked.

"Honestly, you need one," she replied seriously. "You're a sorcerer. And…you know…I've seen you in battle a couple of times…" she trailed off and winced in anticipation of my reaction.

She was right. I was a hot mess. If I managed to get a shielding spell up, I was lucky. None of my offensive spells seemed to have much oomph. Most importantly, I generally had no clue what I was doing.

"I know. I'm useless." I sighed.

"No…you just…"

She stopped abruptly and sharply turned her head as if to listen to something in the trees.

"Someone's coming," she said very quietly, and unsheathed her sword.

"Please be Sir Grayson," I whimpered.

I took a deep breath and focused on the little knot of power I could feel in my solar plexus. I envisioned the knot shooting out protective threads of energy, the threads weaving together and stretching. Strange words appeared in my mind; they were the words I had to speak to activate the spell. At the same time, my hands guided the threads carefully - it had to be done exactly right or the spell would backfire. It was insanely difficult to focus on all of these things at once, especially when there was potential danger nearby.

Finally, after what seemed like minutes, I felt everything come together and the magic burst into physical reality. I sighed with relief; at least I had had time to get my force field up before people started trying to stab me.

Seconds later, to my dismay, three mean-looking dudes with sharp-looking weapons sauntered out of the trees and attacked us.

* * *

"_Andrea, why didn't you use any spells?" Amie asked me cautiously while we sat catching our breath._

_Spells? Like…magic spells? What was she talking about?_

"_I…I'm really confused. I think I have some memory loss," I lied._

_Amie looked stricken. "What? Oh gods, what is going on? You need to remember how to use your magic or you'll surely die!"_

"_I can protect her," Bevil stated flatly._

_I believed him, but if there was any way I could be useful, I had to do it._

_But magic? Magic wasn't real. Was Amie speaking metaphorically or something?_

"_How do I…cast spells?" I asked her._

_She was overcome with frustration. "I don't know!"_

"_But I saw you use magic, I think," I pleaded._

"_Yes, but I'm a wizard and you're a sorcerer! It's so different. We've talked about it a million times. The way you use magic is different from the way I use it. I have to prepare my spells…but you can just cast them out of nowhere."_

_Bevil put a hand on my shoulder. "Andrea, you told me once that it's like you have this magical energy in you that you can pull from."_

_I looked at him, bewildered. _

_He continued, "You said that you just have to visualize it and everything comes to you. I don't know, that's just what you told me."_

_I frowned and looked to Amie. "Just close your eyes and focus," she said. "Try to summon a little flame."_

_I was extremely skeptical, but I sighed and closed my eyes. I thought really hard about a little flame appearing in my palm. _

_I opened my eyes, and looked at my palm, kind of hoping something had happened. But…nothing._

_I sighed with exasperation. This was stupid; magic wasn't real._

"_Maybe I can just use this walking stick and hit people with it," I said to them._

"_That's what it's for," Bevil said impatiently. "But you are horrible with it. Come on, try the spell again. Just focus on the magic in you."_

"_What is this, Star Wars?" I grumbled to myself. Bevil and Amie looked at me like I was crazy. I wasn't sure if they were wrong._

"_Use the force, Andrea," I chanted, closing my eyes. I started scanning myself internally, trying to find any hint of this alleged power. When I reached my middle, I suddenly felt something. I was taken aback, but I focused my concentration on that spot. It was this strange, tight ball of…energy. I could feel it. It felt like I could control it._

_I took a deep breath and tried to visualize a stream of the energy coming out of the ball, like a solar flare pulling away from the sun. I imagined the energy was made of fire. I could feel the strand burning gently, but not hurting me. I pushed the energy up my torso, through my shoulder, down my arm. The whole path tingled. I pushed the energy up and out of my hand, visualizing a floating candle flame._

"_You did it!" I heard Amie exclaim._

_I opened my eyes and looked at my upturned palm. There was a small flame floating above my hand, just like I had visualized. I was so startled, my hold on the thread of energy broke and the flame disappeared with a poof._

_It worked._

"_Holy shit."_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I must have been staring in fear at Lord Nasher, because I didn't really register that Sand was nudging me sharply.

"Bow, girl!" he whispered savagely.

My eyes widened and I performed the most awkward curtsey ever witnessed by man. I just about fell over. Lord Nasher raised his eyebrow. I steeled myself for the inevitable 'off with her head!'.

Instead, with the faintest wry smile on his lips, he nodded to me. Huh.

He shifted his glance to Sir Grayson and visibly brightened. "Ah, Sir Grayson... a pleasure to see you."

Sir Grayson bowed gracefully and replied with similar grace, "It is my honor to serve, my lord."

"My lord," he continued, "it has come to my attention that this woman stands accused of murder, and is to be given over to Luskan for trial."

"What you have heard is true. Is that why you are here?" Lord Nasher asked. He reminded me of Captain Picard.

"I am here because this woman is my squire, and must be tried by your hand and the will of the Gods alone."

I tried to stand up straighter and look all noble and such.

I heard a haughty woman's voice from the other side of the hall. "What is this nonsense? This knight has no squire." I figured she was the Luskan Ambassador, Torio - Sand had told me all about her.

"I would choose your words carefully, ambassador, lest I think you were accusing one of my knights of speaking lies," Lord Nasher replied diplomatically.

'_Owned!'_ I thought to myself. Lord Nasher was turning out to be pretty cool. I must have been smirking because Sand elbowed me hard in the ribs again.

"I only hear the words of a man shielding a murderer," she snarled. I winced at being called a murderer.

"Then let the accused speak. What say you - does my knight speak truly? Are you his squire?" Lord Nasher asked me.

"Yes..." I squeaked. I braced myself for another jab from Sand.

"Then it is true. That means this squire will be tried here, ambassador... _not_ within Luskan's walls," Lord Nasher said with finality. I breathed a sigh of relief. Quietly.

"There is no justice in this - but I was a fool to expect justice in Neverwinter," Torio retorted, and flamboyantly stormed out.

I had a feeling that whatever happened, Torio was definitely not going to let me get off easy. Regardless of the truth.

* * *

All I wanted to do was get hammered, but we were leaving for Port Llast in the morning and I knew I'd regret it if I was hung over. I contented myself with being in a depressed mood.

It just wasn't fair. Why would someone murder an entire village? And why would someone accuse me of it? I was obviously set up, but I felt guilt for what happened. A whole village died because someone hated me enough to get me arrested by Luskan. Why would someone hate me that much? I wasn't even important! And what the hell was the deal with Luskan, anyway?

My emotions were harder to control when I was stressed, so I didn't bother. I stared blankly at my drink and wallowed in self-pity. Shandra had given up trying to lighten me up. We both sat there lost in our thoughts.

I saw Casavir get up from the table he was sitting at and make his way over to us. I pretended that I didn't notice him.

"Do you have a moment? I wish to speak with you…" he said cautiously.

"I'm really not in the mood for talking," I said.

"I only wish for you to hear what I have to say. You do not need to speak."

"Fine," I sighed. I resolved to keep my mouth shut no matter what he said. I figured he was going to talk about some boring logistics of our trip to Port Llast.

He sat down across from me and looked at me with concern.

I looked back into his blue eyes and made no effort to change the dispirited expression on my face.

"I wish to let you know that I will ensure you are absolved of this horrible crime."

Not what I expected him to say, but I kept gazing blankly.

"You need not worry while you are under my protection."

His chivalry radar had finally honed in on me. I glared at him. I was gladly accepting all the help I could get, but this was feeling very _knight in shining armour come to save the helpless woman_.

"You have only done good deeds in the time I have traveled with you." His voice softened. "It pains me to see you in such distress."

Distress. Like, damsel in distress? My nostrils flared with anger.

He hesitated, noticing my annoyance. "I…will do everything in my power to-"

I lost my temper and momentarily forgot my vow of silence. "I don't _need_ your damn help! I don't want people following me around out of a sense of duty!"

"I'm not-"

"Go rescue a cat in a tree or something! I'm not some charity case here to make you feel holy!"

Shandra's jaw dropped at my outburst. Casavir steeled his face and stood up. He bowed his head slightly to us and then walked out of the front door of the inn.

I sat there steaming, but my anger didn't last for very long. I started to feel guilty for yelling at him like that.

"Damn it," I said quietly, and got up to run after him. I hoped he would let me apologize.

* * *

The crisp night air soothed my frazzled nerves. I hadn't noticed how much the stuffy and loud interior of the inn had stressed me out until I got outside. It was cool and quiet. Not many people were walking around; I glanced about quickly to see if I could spot Casavir. He was over at the docks solemnly looking out at the ocean.

I approached him quietly. His expression was stoic as ever, but I could see sadness in his eyes. It seemed to me that the sadness had always been there, though - I just hadn't noticed it before. I was always so wrapped up in my own issues.

I opened my mouth to say I was sorry, but he spoke first.

"I apologize for what I said. I did not mean to imply that you are incapable. It was not my place to speak to you like that."

I stared at him for a moment. "What? No, Casavir, I came here to apologize to _you_. I shouldn't have burst out like that."

"No, my lady, you had every right to defend yourself as you did."

I rolled my eyes and smiled ruefully. "I'm not used to all of this. I used to be in control of my life. I didn't need anyone's help or protection - I did things on my own and I was just fine. But now…I'm in danger all of the time and I'd be dead already if it wasn't for you and the others."

My chest tightened with the memory of the fear I always felt when there was a fight. It was paralyzing to see someone coming after me with the intent to kill. So paralyzing that someone always had to step in and defend me. Usually it was Casavir…

"Are you all right, my lady?" he asked with concern. I noticed that my eyes were clenched shut. I shook myself out of my trance.

"Yeah…sorry." I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Look, it's been hard for me to admit this, but I really appreciate your help. It's good to have someone watching my back. I owe you my life a hundred times over."

"It is my-"

"Don't! Just don't say it's your duty. Please. That's all I ask. It isn't your duty to help me."

"I was going to say: it is my pleasure."

"Yeah right," I said and kicked him in the shin playfully. He said nothing as he looked at me but he had the faintest smile on his lips. I hadn't ever seen him smile before. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Well, maybe we should get back to the inn. Tomorrow will be a long day," I said.

"Lead on, my lady."

"And quit calling me 'my lady'," I scowled.

* * *

The day was hot and muggy, but I didn't let it bother me. Instead I thought of how far back we would be if we hadn't decided to take our trip by horseback. We still had a very long way to go, but our trip's length would be reduced significantly. I was also infinitely grateful for the horseback riding lessons I had taken when I was a kid. One less way to make a fool out of myself!

We were riding single file, so I didn't have to talk to anyone along the way. I let my mind drift as we trod along.

I still missed home a lot, but I was getting used to lifestyle I was forced to lead here. I was no longer constantly yearning for minor comforts and conveniences like bottled water and washing machines. Not to mention flushing toilets.

I still craved coffee sometimes, but I had gotten over my addiction pretty quickly after people looked at me like I was nuts when I asked about it. _"Coffee?! We don't serve foreign swill here."_

Back home, I used to get bored when I didn't have loads of entertainment to keep me busy. I'd get restless if my favourite TV shows were done for the season, or if my favourite websites weren't being updated quickly enough.

Now, though, I felt a kind of peace during the long hours on the road, or the times when I was alone in my room or keeping watch overnight. I was content to just sit there and let my mind wander.

I mostly thought about the upcoming trial and the need for us to find some kind of evidence to prove me innocent. Sand seemed to be quite confident that we would find what we needed. I thought about how relieved I was that we were taking a trip that wouldn't be dangerous. We were taking a well-traveled road to a port city, where we were going to check some stuff out, then come back home. We weren't skulking through the woods on the trail of otherworldly creatures, so how dangerous could it be?

My thoughts passed the time quickly. I was brought out of my reverie by a pang of hunger from my stomach and I wondered what time it was. I glanced at the sky and figured we would be stopping soon for the night.

Impending trial notwithstanding, I felt content and safe.

* * *

I traipsed though the woods, picking up dried twigs to use for tinder for the campfire. I sniffed the air and thought happily of how much I loved the scent of trees and dead leaves and moss and whatever else made the forest smell the way it did.

"Here's a good one," I sing-songed to myself as I picked up a nice branchy twig.

Suddenly, I was wrenched backwards by a strong hand across my mouth. My heart stopped as I felt something cold and sharp touch my throat.

How could I have been so complacent?

I tried to yell 'let me go!' but it just made a muffled sound against my assailant's hand. I was so scared. All I could think about was how I was going to die.

"You'd better be quiet, girl, or I'll slit your throat." My breath caught as I recognized the voice. Bishop.

He took his hand off my mouth but kept the dagger at my throat, pushing it at my skin slightly as though to warn me not to yell out.

I was too scared to even speculate on why _he_ had me at knife-point. All I could think about was how I was going to die and how I didn't want to die.

I managed to force myself not to plead for my life - I knew that would get me nowhere.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. The fear was evident in my voice and I had no way to control that.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm holding a knife to your throat," he sneered, although he sounded amused.

"Why?" I croaked. I was coming dangerously close to crying, but I used every ounce of my strength to stop myself.

"To show you how _weak_ you are. You aren't even going to survive long enough to see the trial at the rate you're going."

So…he wasn't going to kill me? I was so confused. And still scared.

"I'll never be rid of Duncan if you let yourself get killed," he continued, voice filled with disgust. "You're going to learn how to defend yourself."

He didn't make it sound like I had a choice. He took the knife from my throat, but not before dragging it just lightly enough to leave a shallow cut. It really stung.

"Ow," I blurted out.

He made a sound of utter exasperation and grabbed my shoulder to turn me around. He shoved the hilt of the dagger into my palm and stepped back.

I looked at the dagger in my hand. What, he was going to show me _now_? I was still shaking from fear. Regardless, I gripped it and tried to position myself into a somewhat defensive stance.

Then he lunged forward and punched me really, _really_ hard in the face.

"OW!" I yelled as I stumbled backwards.

"Defend yourself, idiot!" he growled.

I was still in shock over how he had the gall to punch me in the face. Then he punched me again. In the same spot.

"Agh!" I yelled. I choked back a sob and tried to stop tears from escaping my eyes.

"What, you're going to cry, now?" he said in the most belittling tone I had ever heard.

I just wanted to run back to the camp. There was no way I could run faster than he could, though.

I saw him lunge forward again, but this time I had enough presence of mind to do something about it. I brought my arm up to block his punch, and, almost subconsciously, I pushed a few threads of magic into my arm to give it enough strength. It was awkward, and almost didn't work, but I managed not to get punched again.

"Good," he murmured. "Maybe you aren't _completely_ hopeless."

Then he went on to actually show me a few tricks. He was impatient and relentless, but I learned some valuable, if brutal, defenses.

At one point I wasn't holding the dagger properly for a certain maneuver, so he came up behind me and wrenched my wrist into the right position. I thought about how this whole thing was like a romantic scene in a movie, aside from the fact that he was hurting my wrist. And that I had blood coming out of my nose. And that he was very, very mean.

He went on for what seemed like forever, but finally it started to get dark out.

"Go back to camp. We're done for now. And clean yourself up, you look like a dead orc."

I made a face at him when he wasn't looking. I started dragging myself in the direction of the camp, wondering what the heck I was going to tell everyone.

"Next time," he said from behind me, "I'll show you how to gouge someone's eye out."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Where have you been? We were going to go looking for you!" Shandra exclaimed as I stumbled back into the camp.

I didn't say anything, because I knew she would flip out once she saw my bruised face and bloody nose.

"Oh my gods, what happened to you?!" she cried, running toward me.

I tried to bat her away with my hands. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

The others had also noticed that I had returned and a few of them were approaching quickly. I wished that everyone would just leave me alone and let me go lie down.

Shandra checked me for serious wounds while I continued to attempt to shoo her away. "Tell me what happened," she said.

"Nothing happened. Bishop just-"

Just then, Casavir had gotten close enough to hear what we were saying, at least the snippet where I said Bishop's name.

"What did Bishop do?" Casavir snarled, and started scanning the trees with an angry look on his face.

"Nothing! We were just sparring. He was showing me some ways to defend myself," I But I'm really tired now, so can I go lie down?"

Casavir and Shandra looked at me skeptically.

"At least let me heal you, my lady." Casavir brought his hand up to my face but I flinched away.

I didn't quite know why, but I wanted to suffer through the bruises. Maybe it was because I needed to remind myself that I was fragile. Maybe it was because I was proud of myself for learning some self-defense and I wanted the 'battle scars' as a reminder. Or maybe I just wanted to feel sorry for myself and wallow in pain. I hoped it wasn't the latter, but I couldn't really gauge my feelings at that moment.

"No," I said, and gestured for everyone to stop and leave me alone. "I'm going to bed. Good night!"

Shandra started to say something else to me, but instead she just sighed and shrugged at Casavir.

I walked over to my bedroll and flopped down onto my face. As I drifted off to sleep, I idly hoped I would get a black eye. Black eyes are badass.

* * *

We had finally arrived in Port Llast. It was early evening and it seemed like most people were making their way home after a hard day of work. After we stabled our horses, we made our way to the only inn around.

It seemed cozy enough when we walked through the front door. There were a bunch of people over on one side of the room drinking and listening intently to someone. The other side of the room had a pleasant fire crackling with a few people sitting around it.

We were all tired from the trip so we decided to rent some rooms and start asking around about Ember in the morning. Our group slowly dispersed as people went to their rooms or ordered food and drink.

It was a coastal town, so pretty much all of the food was seafood. I was afraid if I ordered fish I'd be presented with an entire fish - head included. So I asked for shrimp and was very glad I had once I saw what some of my companions had to eat. They didn't seem to mind the fish heads though.

After we ate, Shandra and I retired to the comfy-looking chairs near the fire. The night air was cold and moist, even in the inn, so the heat of the fire was very pleasant. I sipped at my ale and laughed with Shandra while she teased me about my squeamishness at supper.

There was a pretty woman with red hair who was also sitting by the fire. She looked over at me a few times, but I thought it was just because I always seemed to be a bit out of place. However, during one of the lulls in my conversation with Shandra, she politely interrupted us and it became clear that that wasn't the (only) reason she was looking at me.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you, but are you traveling with that man, Bishop?"

"Um…yes?" I said warily. "Do you know him?" It was kind of a dumb question, since she obviously did know him.

"First, I have a question for you - why is he with you?" she asked me. "Loyalty isn't high on Bishop's list - and he doesn't help _anyone_." She had a slight sneer on her face as she spoke about him.

"Um, well, I don't really know why he's with us. He just decided to tag along." I didn't really want to mention the strange 'debt' he had gone on about with Duncan.

"You really need to watch your back, then. He'll stab you in the back first chance he gets. He hates everyone. Especially Luskans."

Luskans… they were the ones that accused me of murdering Ember. That vicious woman Torio was the Luskan ambassador. Didn't seem too strange to me that anyone would hate Luskans - I was starting to. Their government, at least.

She continued talking, with an unpleasant faraway look on her face. "The things he's done to them at the border..."

I frowned. I just couldn't believe that anyone would actually torture another human being, as she was implying. I thought maybe she was just bitter at him for breaking her heart or something, and was trying to make him look worse than he was.

She saw my skeptical look and sighed. "Look, just…be careful. Don't turn your back on him."

"Don't worry. I won't," I said.

After that, we sat in a kind of awkward silence, so I mentioned to Shandra that I was tired and we went up to bed. I glanced around the main room as we left, but Bishop was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

I plopped down onto the bed. Shandra and I were sharing a room - I made the excuse that it was for money-saving purposes, but really I was afraid of sleeping alone in a strange place and it was nice having a friend/protector near me.

I kicked off my boots and stretched out my limbs. Shandra did the same on her side of the room, in a distinctly more dignified fashion. I was kind of jealous of how pretty she was. Actually, it seemed like everyone I traveled with was extraordinarily good-looking.

I usually thought of myself as fairly pretty, but compared with my companions I was downright plain. I was tall and scrawny with short, light brown hair that was growing out into an unmanageable mop. I was proud of how I was slowly gaining visible muscles in my legs and arms, but it was hardly anything noteworthy.

My friends, on the other hand…I shook the thought out of my head.

"Andrea, why have you been so quiet lately on the _handsomeness_ of Casavir and Bishop?" Shandra asked me suddenly, with no small amount of teasing in her voice.

"What, are you a mind-reader? I was just thinking about how everyone I travel with is so good-looking," I said. "But I guess you're right…I haven't been making so many lewd comments…"

"Why?"

"Eh…Casavir and I are kind of friends now, I think. Ever since I blew up at him back at the Flagon. It seems weird now to joke around about how he's cute."

She nodded, understanding me. "And Bishop…?"

"Ah…yeah…I'm just plain scared of him. If he ever heard some of the stuff I said…he'd like, kill me or something."

"Yeah, he's an ass alright." She grimaced. I knew she really didn't like Bishop. Neither did I, but…he was teaching me self-defense for some reason. Every couple of days he dragged me off to show me more brutally effective ways to kill people. Never incapacitate…always kill. Oh well, it was better than nothing.

"I'll just swoon over Sand instead…" I said half-jokingly. "He's rather pretty, don't you think?"

"Andrea, you are in serious need of a lover," she said as she threw a pillow at me. "Didn't you have a sweetheart back in West Harbor?"

"Uh," I stammered. "Well, no? I…"

She gasped and covered her mouth. "He didn't…something didn't happen during that attack, did it?"

"No! No!" I waved my hands at her to reassure her. "No, there wasn't anyone. Actually, I…need to tell you something."

"Anything," she said, and came over to sit beside me.

I took a deep breath. "But you can't tell anyone, okay? And don't freak out. I don't know if it's something to freak out about, but don't freak out." I jiggled my legs with anxiety.

"I won't. I promise." She gave me a reassuring smile.

"Okay." I breathed. "Okay. Okay, I'm just going to come out and say it. I'm not from this…planet. Or plane or whatever."

"You aren't?" she asked. Her voice was curious, but not alarmed.

"Nope…" I said cautiously. "I woke up here when West Harbor was attacked. Everyone there seems to have known me my whole life, but I'm not that person!"

"That…explains a lot," she said with a smirk. "Sometimes you say very strange things."

"Is it that obvious?!" I asked, suddenly worried, and mad at myself for not blending in well enough.

"No…" she paused to think. "No, I think you just come across as…'eccentric'." She winked at me. "What plane are you from?"

"Um, I don't know. I didn't even know there were 'planes' before I got here. My world doesn't have magic or monsters or races other than human."

She looked at me skeptically. "There must be magic. Magic is…everywhere. How would you even have gotten here?"

"I don't know! Argh…" I clenched my fists. I didn't like thinking about that too much. It scared me to speculate on how the heck I got here.

"Hey, hey. I believe you. I'm sorry. It…must be hard. To be away from your home, to be in a strange place."

"Yeah."

"Have you tried to find a way home?" she asked.

I stopped to think for a second. Find a way home? I hadn't even really thought about it. I had assumed it was impossible, and I hadn't found out differently due to my reluctance to tell anyone. I was also caught up in all these crazy goings-on, like the mystery of the shards and my being accused of murder.

"I haven't," I said quietly. "Maybe when things quiet down a bit."

"Yeah," she said apologetically. "Your life is pretty crazy right now."

"Don't tell anyone though, okay? I'm not quite ready for that yet."

"Of course."

She went back to her bed and I tucked myself into my covers. I was relieved that I told her, and now I had the small hope of getting home someday soon. But as I dozed off, I wondered if I wanted to leave. I had made friends here.

* * *

"Is it hot in here?" I asked Sand desperately as I fanned myself with my hand. The room was full of people and despite all of the evidence we had found to prove my innocence, I was experiencing a lot of anxiety. I was sweaty, fidgety and I couldn't for the life of me force my face out of its worried expression.

"Please stop. You are making yourself look guilty," he said between his teeth.

"Sorry…" I mumbled, and tried to surreptitiously take deep breaths.

Suddenly I heard a loud voice from the throne room announcing things in an official manner. My heart jumped in my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut and told myself to calm down. Sand knew what he was doing. I would be absolved, and everything would be fine.

Sand poked at my arm and I opened one eye to look at him. He gestured towards the door. I guessed we were being summoned. I steeled myself and we walked in through the doors.

* * *

"I claim the right to trial by combat," Torio said loudly.

Trial by combat? I was confused. I had just been proven innocent. The relief I was feeling was impossible to describe. But what was she talking about?

"Ambassador, I am _tired_ of your games, and I will indulge you no longer," Nasher replied, the annoyance evident in his voice.

"In a matter of such importance, you would deny me my sacred right of appeal?" Her voice was sickly sweet with sarcastic disbelief. "Can Lord Nasher do that, Reverend Judge? Can he put himself above our god Tyr in this matter?"

Judge Oleff was clearly distressed. "He...cannot. The ambassador from Luskan is entitled to an appeal as she describes."

"Gods, I was hoping she didn't know about it," Sand said quietly.

"What? Know about what? What's going on?" I whispered furiously. I already had my trial! Was there going to be a retrial? A trial where my innocence would be proved through…combat? Realization dawned. I felt the blood drain from my face.

Nevalle stepped forward and looked down at Torio. "And who will fight for you, Torio? This is no battle with words, though I would like to see you try to match your wit against the blade of a true soldier of Neverwinter."

"Hah, blade," I mumbled to myself. As if I was some 'soldier' who knew how to fight. Or had a freaking sword, for that matter.

"Indeed, you are correct, Sir Nevalle. Luskan is not the aggressor here, and I only wish to see justice done," she said. My anger was mixing with my fear and I was getting very restless and shaky.

"But I cannot defend myself and seek justice in this matter..." she continued. "Is there not one who will champion the people of Ember?"

A moment passed. Then I heard a voice.

"I will."

My gaze shot to the source of those words. A huge man stood there with a murderous look in his eyes. I just about fainted.

"I have listened to these lies, and will answer them - with my blade, in Luskan's name," he growled.

"I'm going to die," I said. Sand furrowed his brow, but said nothing.

* * *

I stared up at the ceiling while lying down on the floor of the temple. My gaze followed the arches and my mind just floated numbly. It was peaceful in the room; the silence was soothing, like there was some sort of white noise I couldn't hear. I knew there were things I needed to think about, but I didn't want to disturb myself.

My shoulder blades and tailbone were starting to get sore from lying down on the hard stone. I sat up, then shifted myself onto my knees and curled up with my head facing down. The darkness made it easier for my mind to focus, so little trains of thought started leaking through.

I was going to die. It seemed pretty clear. There was no way I could beat that huge monster of a man! He would probably break my head open with one punch. Yeah, he didn't even need weapons to beat me. I groaned audibly. Things were so unfair.

I didn't want to die. I wondered what would happen if I died on this plane. Would I wake up back home? Would I stop existing? People spoke of the gods here like it was common knowledge that they existed. They even got magic powers from their gods. If I died here, would one of those gods bring me to some kind of afterlife? I thought I heard someone mention "the hells" once. Would I go there?

But no. I couldn't think like that. I had to at least try to survive this fight. I had magic - this dude obviously didn't. I didn't have full control of my magic, though. I whimpered loudly and punched the floor with the side of my fist a few times. I had to be strong. I had to be smart. I had to win. It wasn't fair that I had to do this, but I didn't have a choice!

I heard a light knock from the doorway. It startled me and I sat up quickly, then stood once I saw it was Casavir.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to disturb the Rites," he said.

"No, you aren't disturbing me." I gestured for him to come in. "Come in, cast some paladin stuff on me to make me brave."

I was just joking, but he looked at me with a pained expression. He sat down on a bench and looked at me, obviously trying to figure out what to say.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and sat down beside him.

"Please allow me to be your champion and fight for you tomorrow," he said, his voice tense with stress. "Do not think I am doubting your abilities…but I…I do not think you are ready…" he was obviously afraid I would react with anger at this.

I chuckled softly. "Say whatever you want, I won't get mad. I _know_ I'm not ready."

"You will let me fight for you?" he asked.

I tried to force my face into a neutral expression, but I knew that the worry and fear were etched all over it. I wanted him to fight for me, I really did, but I just couldn't say yes. The only thing I feared more than dying was if one of my friends or family died. I couldn't bear it if he died because of me. The prospect of him being gone made me realize that I really cherished his friendship.

"I can't," I whispered, knowing that he would not like that answer.

"No…you must let me," he said with slight fervor, "You will die if you face him."

"What if you were in my position? And I was a better fighter than you? Would _you_ let _me_ fight for you?" I said. I wasn't very convincing, as my voice was cracked with anxiety.

He looked at me pleadingly for a few moments. "No," he finally answered.

"Casavir," I said quietly, "Don't worry. I'll be fine." It was a lie, and in direct contradiction with what I had said a minute ago, but I felt that I needed to say it.

"But…in case something happens, I want you to know…that I really appreciate you coming here." I felt a hot tear escape from my eye as I welled up with emotion. "I really value your friendship, and I hope you think of me as a friend too." Another tear came out and I made a frustrated sound and wiped my eyes.

"Don't cry," he whispered. He reached a hand out toward me but took it back before it touched me. "You are a cherished friend. And I have faith in you."

I closed my eyes and nodded. I heard him get up to leave, and I fought back the tears that threatened to come out. Once I started crying, it was really hard to stop.

I heard him pause at the doorway and I looked up at him. He straightened his back and spoke in a more paladin-like voice. "May Tyr guide you tomorrow."


End file.
